Multiple hand tool

ABSTRACT

A compact multiple hand tool which includes substantially every hand tool found in a complete tool box. A pair of elongated members are pivotally connected adjacent their upper ends, which are provided with jaws usable as pliers and also as an adjustable wrench. The lower end of one elongated member forms a knife which is covered by a slidably mounted sheath carrying a file. The sheath is removable from the elongated member. The sheath is also adapted to slidably engage a projection formed on the other elongated member to lock the elongated members in closed position and to provide a progressively tighter gripping of the jaws due to the action of the inclined plane.

United States Patent [19] Stevens 1 Jan.7, 1975 1 MULTIPLE HAND TOOL [21] Appl. No.: 443,701

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 266,267, June 26,

1972, Pat, NO. 3,798,687.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,331,793 2/1920 WOjdaCZ ..81/324 1,540,798 6/1925 Norton ..8l/315 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Great Britain 81/333 15,732 0/1909 Great Britain 81/333 Primary ExaminerAl Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-Roscoe V. Parker Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert C. Comstock [57] ABSTRACT A compact multiple hand tool which includes substantially every hand tool found in a complete tool box. A pair ofelongated members are pivotally connected adjacent their upper ends, which are provided with jaws usable as pliers and also as an adjustable wrench. The lower end of one elongated member forms a knife which is covered by a slidably mounted sheath carrying a file. The sheath is removable from the elongated member. The sheath is also adapted to slidably engage a projection formed on the other elongated member to lock the elongated members in closed position and to provide a progressively tighter gripping of the jaws due to the action of the inclined plane.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented Jan. 7, 1975 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Jan. 7, 1975 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Ill 7 m% 1 Hi x11:

. NM Q MULTIPLE HAND TOOL REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 266,267 filed June 26, 1972, now Patent No. 3,798,687.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a multiple hand tool which is particularly adapted for use by outdoorsmen and which may also be carried and used in motor vehicles and in the home.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various types of combination and multiple tools are presently known. For example, US. Pat. No. 874,394 shows a combination wrench and pliers. US. Pat. No. 1,032,855 shows a combination of various tools, as does US. Pat. No. 354,313. None of these prior devices shows means for mechanically increasing the gripping power of the jaws of the wrench and/or pliers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides in compact easily stored and carried form a single tool which includes almost every type ofhand tool which is found in a complete tool box. The tool of the present invention may embody, but is not necessarily limited to, a pliers, adjustable wrench, knife, file, two types of screwdrivers, hammer, and hacksaw.

It is an object of the invention to provide a multiple hand tool of the type described in which means is provided for holding the elongated members or handles together when the tool is not in use and which means may also be utilized, along with a projection having an inclined plane, to provide a progressively tighter gripping of the jaws to hold an object therebetween.

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide such a device in which such holding means comprises a member which is mounted for sliding longitudinal movement along the lower portion of one of the elongated members. The holding means may comprise a sheath which encloses a knife blade formed on the elongated member on which it is mounted. The outside of the sheath may carry a file.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide a multiple hand tool having all of the advantages and benefits of the structure set forth above and described in detail hereinafter in this specification.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a tool which may be manufactured in a relatively simple manner and sold at a reasonable price for widespread sale and use.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a tool in which all of the parts are compactly arranged and stored so that the tool may be conveniently carried on the person or stored in a minimum amount of space within a vehicle, camping gear, etc.

It is another object of the invention ot provide such a tool having a pair of elongated members which may be held in closed position or pivoted with respect to each other or locked in an open right angular position to provide the rigidity which is desirable for various purposes.

The invention also comprises such other objects. advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by the invention.

While there is shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of my multiple hand tool with the handles and jaws in slightly open position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view ofthe same taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view corresponding to FIG. 1, with the sheath slidably removed from the knife blade;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 3, with the handles in less open position and the sheath in its innermost or unlocked position;

FIG. 5 is a similar view with the sheath in its outer locked position, drawing the handles closer together;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the upper portion of the tool, showing the handles and jaws locked in open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment which has been selected to illustrate the invention comprises a tool having a pair of elongated members 10 and II which are pivotally connected adjacent their upper ends by a transversely directed shaft 12. The lower portions 13 and I4 respectively of the members 10 and 11 are adapted to function as handles when the tool is used as a wrench or pliers.

The other end of the elongated member 11 comprises an upper portion 15 which has a portion so formed and serrated on the inside thereof as to comprise one jaw 22 of the pliers or wrench. The outside of the upper portion 15 carries a round protuberance 16 which is adapted to act as the striking portion of a hammer.

The free end of the lower portion 13 of elongated member 10 carries the projecting blade 17 of a Phillips head screwdriver. The free end of the lower portion 14 of elongated member 11 carries the projecting blade 18 of a conventional screwdriver.

The other end of the elongated member 10 comprises an upper portion 23, which carries the other jaw 24 of a pliers or wrench. The jaw 24 is mounted for lateral movement in the manner of an adjustable wrench. The lower portion of the jaw 24 is provided with a plurality of teeth 25 which are engaged by a worm gear 26 which is mounted for rotation on a laterally directed shaft 27. The worm gear 26 is mounted in an opening 28 so that it is accessible for manual rotation from both sides of the upper portion 23.

The outer end of the tooth carrying portion 25 of the jaw 24 is provided with a projection 36 which extends laterally outwardly from the side edge of the upper portion 23 when the jaw 24 is moved toward a fully open position.

The elongated member 11 is provided with a recess 37. The recess 37 is adapted to receive and hold the end of the projection 36 when the elongated members 10 and II are moved to a fully open right angular position. The worm gear 26 is rotated to move the jaw 24 to an extreme outward position, which simultaneously moves the end of the projection 36 into the recess 37. The projection 36 and recess 37 accordingly act as a lock to hold the elongated members and 11 in fully open position.

A hacksaw blade (not shown in the drawings) may be pivotally mounted on the opposite side of the elongated member 10.

The upper portion 23 is provided with a lateral portion which fits under a lip formed on the inner edge of the protuberance 16 when the elongated members 10 and 11 are in closed position. This engagement prevents any lateral twisting of the elongated members 10 and 11 with respect to each other when the tool is used as a wrench.

The inner edge of the lower portion 13 is bevelled to form a knife blade 21. The opposite sides of the lower portion 13 are provided with aligned inwardly directed grooves 40 which are adapted to slidably receive a pair of inwardly directed complementary flanges 41 formed on the inner edge of a sheath 42.

The sheath 42 is mounted for sliding longitudinal movement along the lower portion 13, with the flanges 41 sliding along the grooves 40. The outer portion of one side of the sheath 42 carries a file 43. The lower end of the sheath carries a screwdriver blade 49. The sheath 42 may be completely removed from the lower portion 13 for the purpose of exposing the knife blade 21 for use or for use of the file 43 to sharpen the blade 21 or for other uses as a file or for use of the screwdriver blade 49. The outside of the lower portion 14 is provided with an elongated ignition member 44 of a type well known in the art which may be frictionally engaged by the file 43 or otherwise to strike a spark for the purpose of starting a fire.

The lower portion 14 is provided with an inwardly directed elongated projection 44 having an angularly inclined inner surface 45. The outer end of the sheath 42 is dimensioned and positioned so that when the lower portions 13 and 14 are disposed in close proximity to each other, the sheath 42 may be moved outwardly to engage and enclose the projection 44 and thereby hold the ends of the lower portions 13 and 14 together for storage and carrying of the tool.

It should particularly be noted that this structure serves a further and even more important purpose in that the engagement between the sheath 42 and the inclined plane of the inner surface 45 of the projection 44 provides a progressively increasing tightening of the jaws 22 and 24. With the leverage provided by the lower portions 13 and 14 and the further mechanical advantage of the inclined plane, it is possible to achieve an extremely tight grip on an object held between the jaws 22 and 24.

When the lower portions 13 and 14 are held in closed position, the tool is adapted to be carried on the person or stored in a minimum amount of space. Without being opened, the tool may be used as a conventional screwdriver, flat file, hammer, and as an adjustable wrench by rotating the worm gear 26. The tool may be used as a pliers by releasing the elongated members 1 1 and 12 for pivotal movement.

The lower portions 13 and 14 may be pivoted to right angular open positions and locked therein by engagement between the projection 36 and recess 37. The tool may then be used as a Phillips head screwdriver and knife. It may be used as a hacksaw by movement of the hacksaw blade to open position.

When the elongated members 10 and 11 are moved to completely open right angular positions, as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, portions of their upper ends engage to prevent their movement beyond such right angular position. The upper surface of the jaw projection 36 which engages the recess 37 is inclined upwardly, so that outward movement of the jaw projection 36 exerts pressure on the elongated members 10 and 11 to force their engaging portions against each other. This provides rigidity of the tool in open position.

1 claim:

1. A multiple hand tool comprising a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to each other adjacent their upper ends, the lower ends of said elongated members forming a pair of handles, the upper ends of said elongated members carrying a stationary jaw and a laterally movable jaw respectively, means for remov- I ably connecting said handles to each other for use of said tool as an adjustable wrench, said elongated members being releasable for pivotal movement for use of said tool as pliers, one of said handles carrying on the inner side thereof a projection, the other of said handles carrying a member mounted thereon for longitudinal sliding movement along said other handle, said member having means for removably receiving said projection, said member adapted upon sliding movement thereof to receive said projection to connect said handles to each other and hold said elongated members in closed position, said projection having a free end directed toward said jaws, said member being slidable outwardly to engage said projection, the surface of said projection engaged by said member extending at a slight angle inwardly toward the handle on which said projection is carried, whereby the sliding engagement between said member and projection acts to pull the ends of said handles remote from said jaws toward each other, said movement acting to tighten the gripping action of said jaws when said jaws are in open position.

2. The structure described in claim 1, said member being substantially U-shaped in cross-section, with the closed end of the U being adapted to removably receive said projection.

3. The structure described in claim 2, the open ends of said U having inwardly directed flanges which are slidably mounted in grooves extending along the opposite sides of the handle carrying said member.

4. The structure described in claim 3, said member comprising a sheath, the handle on which said sheath 

1. A multiple hand tool comprising a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to each other adjacent their upper ends, the lower ends of said elongated members forming a pair of handles, the upper ends of said elongated members carrying a stationary jaw and a laterally movable jaw respectively, means for removably connecting said handles to each other for use of said tool as an adjustable wrench, said elongated members being releasable for pivotal movement for use of said tool as pliers, one of said handles carrying on the inner side thereof a projection, the other of said handles carrying a member mounted thereon for longitudinal sliding movement along said other handle, said member having means for remoVably receiving said projection, said member adapted upon sliding movement thereof to receive said projection to connect said handles to each other and hold said elongated members in closed position, said projection having a free end directed toward said jaws, said member being slidable outwardly to engage said projection, the surface of said projection engaged by said member extending at a slight angle inwardly toward the handle on which said projection is carried, whereby the sliding engagement between said member and projection acts to pull the ends of said handles remote from said jaws toward each other, said movement acting to tighten the gripping action of said jaws when said jaws are in open position.
 2. The structure described in claim 1, said member being substantially U-shaped in cross-section, with the closed end of the U being adapted to removably receive said projection.
 3. The structure described in claim 2, the open ends of said U having inwardly directed flanges which are slidably mounted in grooves extending along the opposite sides of the handle carrying said member.
 4. The structure described in claim 3, said member comprising a sheath, the handle on which said sheath is mounted having a knife blade formed thereon and disposed beneath said sheath, said sheath being completely removable from the handle on which it is mounted.
 5. The structure described in claim 4, said sheath carrying a flat file surface on one side thereof.
 6. The structure described in claim 4, the outer end of said knife blade being tapered to provide a recess adjacent the outer end of said sheath for receiving said projection. 